1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dereeling apparatuses and more particularly to a power driven apparatus which is controlled in its operation in response to the tension of a strand being dereeled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is customary to wrap long lengths of a strand material, such as wire, tubing, or strip steel, onto a reel or spool having a barrel and end flanges. In the winding of coils from such strand, it is conventional to connect one end of the strand to a winding mechanism which pulls strand off the reel. This results in strand being payed off the reel, the direction of pay-off being either axially or circumferentially of the spool. If circumferentially, the reel will be rotated at a speed depending upon the velocity at which the strand is drawn from the reel. Since the reel with the strand stored thereon has inertia, should the coil-winding operation suddenly cease, the reel will continue rotating for a short period of time coasting to a stop. During such rotation or overrun, the strand continues to uncoil thereby producing an enlarged loop or loops which can become entangled or fall off the reel.
This invention is concerned more particularly with strand material in the form of aluminum or the like tubing which is stored on relatively large reels and in amounts which are relatively heavy, such as five hundred pounds or more. Such reels are conventionally mounted for rotation on upright shafts with the tubing being drawn off the reel with sufficient force to cause rotation of the latter. During the winding of coils from the tubing, coil winding machinery is continuously starting and stopping operation at the beginning and end of winding the coil. This results in the reel being correspondingly started and stopped in rotation, the tension on the tubing during the coil-winding operation controlling the reel rotation. With the reel stationary, the beginning of a coil-winding operation results in suddenly tensioning the tubing which tension is applied to the reel to start rotation thereof. Since the coils of tubing on the reel are somewhat loose, it is not uncommon for the tubing to embed itself within or to chafe against the coils until the reel is started in its rotation and accelerates to full speed. Such embedment and chafing can damage the tubing thereby resulting in the production of defective coils.
Typical prior art apparatuses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,417,818, 2,458,555, 2,946,536, 3,282,518, 3,806,054 and 3,815,844.